XY XX

FEVER

Fever, it was rare for Xenia to be sick. The woman couldn't even remember when was the last time she had a checkup.

Even the sensation of being ill was almost unknown to her, but everyone guessed as Xenia entered her office.

"Are you okay, Xenia?" Timothy asked.

"I don't know; I think it's something I ate."

An hour later, Xenia's eyes were hazy, and she boiled. Opening her shirt's buttons and drinking water didn't help.

Eve, Cassie's PA, poked her head into the open office, "Xenia, Cassie wants to see you."

What does the b-witch want? Xenia thought.

"Achoum," Xenia spurred as she entered Cassie's office.

"Good Lord, you look ugly. Are you sick? Don't take another step; get out of my office; I can't be sick with all these mutations."

"What do you want, Cass? I mean Mrs.Jensen?"

"It can wait. No, actually, take a step back and tell me about Gregory."

Xenia attempted to widen her eyes, but sickness weighed, "you mean Carlton, Gregory Carlton."

"Who else, what other interesting Gregory is there in Astoria?"

"Cassー."

Cassie lifted an eyebrow.

"Mrs. Jensen," Xenia corrected, "I only worked two weeks with him."

"Come on, Xenia; you must have flared something. Is it fusion or acquisition the English are here for?"

Xenia sighed, "I don't know. Gregory spent all his time doing analytics."

The man is our director's left arm; he even did the Sanchez deal; there's more to him than meets the eye, Cassie thought.

"You're useless, get out of my office and take sick leave. I don't want you spreading whatever you have in my department."

Xenia didn't even have the fighting spirit to counter-attack, she left the head's office almost unable to see as her eyes swelled, and she felt the irresistible desire to vomit. She ran to the toilets, where her breakfast went down the drains.

The business developer wanted to stay at work and do a remake of the Exorcist. The thought of painting Cassie's bureau with vomit appealed to her, but she wasn't in a state to do it.

"Priscilla, I'm not feeling well."

"We know, hun, go home."

"But I've got a lot of work," Xenia protested.

"Don't worry, Timothy, and I can look through a few things."

"But you've got your own," Xenia said. The woman with trust issues wasn't keen on having them access her files. Cassie taught her a great lesson.

"No, really, Xenia, let us do for once."

"Eh, Priscilla, you are nice and all doing your Samaritan, but speak for yourself. I can't help Xenia. I've got too much to handle."

"See," Xenia said, almost relieved.

Priscilla sneered at Timothy and patted Xenia on the shoulder, "anyway, you go home and rest."

XY XX

Gregory missed his daily dose of Xenia as if the woman was a TV show. The reruns playing in his mind were amusing but not enough.

Why was he thinking of her?

The dreary day made the man look for some distraction. At lunch, he saw Niki eating with a man from the overseas department.